Description
Delight in the festive charm of Letters To Santa, a whimsical cookie recipe featuring flaky pie dough folded like little envelopes filled with luscious Nutella and white chocolate. Sprinkled with cinnamon sugar and adorned with silver sugar pearls, these sweet treats are perfect for holiday gifting or cozy winter snacking.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Dough
- 1 (14-oz.) refrigerated pie dough (for 2 crusts)
- All-purpose flour, for dusting
Filling and Topping
- 1/2 cup (85 g) white chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup Nutella
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 12 silver sugar pearls
- 1 large egg
- Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting
Instructions
- Prepare Cinnamon Sugar and Dough Squares: In a small bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar and ground cinnamon to create cinnamon sugar. On a lightly floured surface, roll out one pie dough to an 11-inch round, then cut into an 8-inch square. Further cut this square into 4 equal smaller squares. Repeat this process with the second pie dough. Gather and reroll any dough scraps to an 8-inch square and cut out 4 additional squares, yielding a total of 12 squares.
- Melt the White Chocolate: Place the white chocolate chips in a small heatproof bowl. Microwave in 20-second intervals, stirring after each, until fully melted and smooth, approximately 1 minute in total.
- Fill and Fold the Dough Squares: Rotate each square so that a corner points towards you like a diamond shape. Sprinkle the top of each square generously with the cinnamon sugar mixture. Place a heaping teaspoon of Nutella in the center of each square. Fold the right and left corners inward toward the center, then fold the bottom corner upwards to create an envelope shape, pressing lightly to seal the edges.
- Attach Silver Sugar Pearls: Dab a small amount of the melted white chocolate at the center of the bottom fold to act as glue. Gently press a silver sugar pearl onto the chocolate to adhere. Arrange the cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Refrigerate the cookies until firm and cold, about 30 minutes.
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Egg Wash: Place a baking rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 375°F (190°C). In a small bowl, whisk together the large egg and 1 tablespoon of water to create an egg wash. Brush the chilled cookies lightly with the egg wash to promote golden browning.
- Bake the Cookies: Bake the cookies for 15 to 20 minutes or until they turn a golden brown color. After removing from the oven, allow them to cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheet.
- Cool and Finish: Transfer the cookies to a wire rack and let cool completely. Once cooled, dust the cookies lightly with confectioners’ sugar for a beautiful, festive finish.
Notes
- Refrigerating the cookies before baking helps maintain their shape and prevents spreading.
- If you don’t have white chocolate chips, you can substitute with milk or dark chocolate chips, but it will alter the flavor slightly.
- To make cleanup easier, use parchment paper or a silicone baking mat on your baking sheet.
- These cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or frozen for longer storage.
- For a nut-free option, substitute Nutella with a seed butter or chocolate spread without hazelnuts.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 15-20 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: Letters To Santa cookies, Nutella cookies, holiday cookies, cinnamon sugar, white chocolate, festive cookies, pie dough recipes
